The present invention generally relates to the construction of containers and a holder for supporting the containers and, in particular, to the construction of beverage containers and a holder adapted to hold the containers in an upright position so as to prevent spillage. The beverage containers, such as mugs, paper cups, plastic cups, plastic beverage bottles and the like, have a base which is specifically adapted for use in the holder. The holder is a relatively small, unobtrusive device capable of holding a variety of beverage containers, as well as a standard 12 ounce aluminum can, and is particularly well suited for use in an automotive vehicle.
The habit of eating or drinking while driving or riding in an automobile has been present in society for many years, but never has it been a more common part of everyday life than in today's fast paced world. To meet this increased demand, a majority of fast food restaurants have added "drive-thru" windows enabling customers to receive their food and drinks without even leaving their vehicles. Convenience stores have also catered to this demand by providing commuters with a "come-back" deal that adds incentive for the commuter to return. Now, rather than leisurely drinking a cup of coffee at home, commuters are able to buy an insulated mug of coffee at the convenience store and then have it repeatedly refilled--and at a price which is probably less than what it would cost at home. A dilemma arises, however, from both such situations. Specifically, once the consumer is in the automobile and has the purchased beverage, there is no convenient location to place the beverage to prevent it from spilling while he is attempting to drive.
Heretofore, solutions to this problem have included holding the beverage between one's legs, propping the beverage against the back of the seat, setting the beverage in a drink well provided on the glove compartment door, or using prior art devices designed to hang over the automobile door, such as those depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,655,425 to Wallace et al. or U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,523 to Statz et al. Both of these patents disclose plastic racks which encircle a beverage can and a hook which engages a window frame slot. However, these types of racks are generally not very secure, are limited to holding a standard 12-ounce can, and, with the improved technology in window seal arrangements, it is not always possible to force the plastic hook between the window pane and the sealing gasket. Additionally, most prior art devices have required a substantial portion of the beverage container's overall height to be encircled in order for the beverage container to be adequately held. This requires a predetermined amount of space, makes the holder more obvious, and is less appealing to the consumer's aesthetic point of view. Thus, with few available alternatives for holding their beverages, consumers have come to accept a spilled drink, when making a sharp turn or accelerating into traffic, as an associated risk of consuming their coffee or soda while driving or riding in an automotive vehicle.
With literally hundreds of different beverage container shapes and sizes with which to contend, it would be near impossible to design a single holder which could accommodate such diversity. Therefore, what is needed is a holder adapted to secure a standardized aluminum can, which is also appealing to the consumer and which can be secured to virtually any planar surface. Then, once having designed a standardized holder, what is needed is a new approach to the manufacturing of various beverage containers such that they will also fit within the standardized holder and thereby be prevented from spilling.